Swine-Flu Control: China Quarantines Come Under Scrutiny

As swine flu continues to infect people around the world, governments are weighing measures like school closures and travel restrictions to dampen its effects. But no country has gone as far as China, where thousands of people who have come into contact with the disease have been quarantined. Beijing says that such aggressive steps will help slow the H1N1 pandemic, which has killed 816 people worldwide since emerging this spring in Mexico.

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Al Qaeda group said to claim Jakarta hotel bombings

A group claiming to be the Indonesian arm of the al Qaeda terrorist network is purportedly taking responsibility for a pair of deadly bombs that exploded within minutes of each other at two luxury hotels in Jakarta. The July 17 blasts at Jakarta’s JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels killed nine people, including at least two presumed suicide bombers, and wounded more than 50. On Wednesday, Noordin M

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Britain hails ‘success’ of anti-Taliban push

A British-led NATO military operation meant to clear the Taliban from parts of Afghanistan has succeeded, the British military said Monday. The military launched Operation Panther’s Claw to flush the Taliban from parts of southern Helmand Province before Afghan elections next month. Major fighting is mostly over, but a part of the operation that calls for the British military to retain a presence there is ongoing.

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Ryanair gloomy despite huge profits

Budget airline Ryanair, which says it is considering charging passengers to use the toilet, announced a huge increase in profits Monday, revealing recession-busting results in sharp contrast to other carriers grounded by financial trouble. The Irish airline, which boosts revenues by billing for baggage, snacks and even checking in, announced a first quarter profit increase of 550 percent — or $195 million — crediting a drop in fuel prices and increased traffic for the growth. But despite bullish promises of expansion, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned that the full year outlook remained gloomy with a fierce price war likely to result in a yield decline of more than 20 percent

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The Pain in the Reign in Spain

When Spain’s King Juan Carlos verbally slapped down bad boy Hugo Chavez at the Ibero-American summit, it came, to say the least, as a surprise. For a man who normally is the very embodiment of decorum, Juan Carlos’ retort to the Venezuelan president — “Why don’t you shut up?” — seemed shockingly uncharacteristic.

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Barbie’s 50th Birthday Convention

Barbie turned 50 this year, and she’s been celebrating her birthday with a whirlwind world tour, christening a new store in Shanghai and strutting the runways of New York’s Fashion Week. As curvaceous and sprightly as ever, the petite doll even paid a visit to the nation’s capital for a recent weeklong convention, and the reception there proved that much of the world still has a love affair with the leggy blonde

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